


Of Nothing and Everything

by KomaruNaegi



Category: Dangan Ronpa - All Media Types, New Dangan Ronpa V3: Everyone's New Semester of Killing
Genre: Alternate Universe - Non-Despair, Gen, Platonic Relationships
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-12
Updated: 2017-09-12
Packaged: 2018-12-26 18:55:59
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,855
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12065019
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KomaruNaegi/pseuds/KomaruNaegi
Summary: Somehow, Tsumugi Shirogane finds a friend in Kaede Akamatsu.





	Of Nothing and Everything

**Author's Note:**

> This is my half of a fanfic trade for [InTalesOfFates](http://aminoapps.com/p/09v8ge) on Amino! As such, I'll be cross-posting this fic there.
> 
> If you would ever like to do a oneshot trade with me, please let me know! I was rather self-concious due to the length of this one, but I tried to make it enjoyable!
> 
>  
> 
> [Fates' Half of This Trade](http://aminoapps.com/p/d45yqh)
> 
>  
> 
> [Amino Mirror](http://aminoapps.com/p/cbqrd3)

Day four of second year, and nothing has changed. The sun shines from the left, blanketing the track and field below, where the first years can be seen stretching in their uniforms.

There's a sort of happiness in them - a vibrancy in them that Shirogane herself can't quite name. She's jealous of the concept, surely, and she finds her core a little bit angrier as she watches them cluster into groups, using lacrosse sticks to lob tennis balls back and forth at each other.

She sighs for the moment, turning back to her sketchbook. She scrutinizes the pencil lines, before taking her eraser and rubbing away at them.

"Hey."

She gives the voice an answer by tilting her head towards it. Lilac eyes meet her own, bangs kept in check by silver hairpins.

"Is that your drawing?" the girl says, leaning over the desk ever so slightly to point at a doodle.

"Yeah... Though it's just a concept sketch," Shirogane answers, again dissatisfied with her artistic skill.

"Oh, by the way, what's your name? I'm Akamatsu Kaede."

Akamatsu stands up firm, resting her hands behind her back. A singular strand of hair bounces on her head.

"Shirogane Tsumugi. I'm not that interesting of a person, but I hope that I'm not a bother."

"Alright! Let's be friends!" Akamatsu beams, taking one of Shirogane's hands in both of her own.

Shirogane blinks in acceptance.

* * *

"I hate exam season..." Akamatsu grumbles, nose buried deep in her paperback workbook.

"I think we all do, deep down," Shirogane says, opening a notebook from the other side of the table. "There's always cram sessions in anime, where the more intelligent characters help the less intelligent ones study."

"You talk about anime a lot, Shirogane-san. Do you like anime?" Akamatsu asks her, setting down the book to give her a glance.

"Mhmm. I watch lots of genres. Shounen, Slice of Life, Fantasy, Harem... I'll watch anything that I think looks promising."

Akamatsu dives back into the book as Shirogane resumes taking notes. Sunlight pours in from Akamatsu's bedroom window, and a fan hums from the corner.

"I... giving... her... a gift," Akamatsu mutters to herself, pulling the workbook away from her face, tilting it slightly as if it will give her the English help she desperately needs.

"Um, that's not quite right..." the cosplayer interjects, sliding over to look at the workbook. "You could either say 'I am giving her a gift,' or ‘I gave her a gift.'"

Frustrated, the blonde's head slams against the table. "How am I ever gonna learn this...!" she whines, shutting her eyes.

"There there," Shirogane coos, rubbing on Akamatsu's shoulders, "there there."

* * *

"What do you do in your free time, Akamatsu-san?" Shirogane asks over lunch.

"Well, I usually play my piano."

"Really? That's a nice hobby to have."

"Yeah," Akamatsu interjects, "it's really relaxing. Sometimes I don't even have to keep my eyes open, I can just let my fingers do all the work."

"Sometimes, when I was younger, I thought about being an idol," Shirogane muses, a hand now to her chin. "But then I realized that my face was too plain, and I couldn't play any instruments anyway."

"I think you have to be a certain type of person to be an idol. I honestly don't think I have that sorta strength..."

Akamatsu bites into a cookie, and Shirogane stares out the window to the side. The track is deserted this time. A finger twirling her hair replaces the now-lost movement.

"What about you, Shirogane-san? What do you do in your free time?"

"Well, I spend a good chunk of my time studying..." Shirogane starts, regaining eye contact with the pianist. "But when I'm done that, I usually spend my time making cosplays."

"Ah, you cosplay? That's so cool!" Akamatsu beams, folding her hands together. "Who's your favorite character?"

"I have a lot of favorites," Shirogane replies, "but a lot of my all-time favorites are from shows I watched when I was younger. Like Sailor Mercury, Nia from Gurren Lagann, Chihiro from Spirited Away, Nano from Nichijou..."

"Do you go to conventions?"

"Mhmm. I work really hard on my costumes so that way they're polished for convention season. My sponsors pay for most of the materials, but I do all the construction myself - I just can't trust someone else to do it."

"You even have sponsors? You're amazing, Shirogane-san!"

A suppressed giggle escapes the cosplayer. "Not really, anybody could do it if they wanted to, I think. Since I'm so popular, people crowd around me like a panda at the zoo... I usually have to have secret costumes so that I can enjoy at least a little while to myself."

"Can I come with you to one sometime?" Akamatsu asks brightly.

"Sure, but," Shirogane remarks, her eyes glittering as she furrows her brow, "I might force you to cosplay with me!"

"N-No way! I'd look terrible in costume!" the other interjects, waving her hands in defiance.

"Come on, let me at least get your measurements!" Shirogane protests. She fishes through her pocket, finding a pink measuring tape.

"No way!" Akamatsu rejects, placing her hands on her desk as she stands up.

Shirogane's gaze sharpens.

Akamatsu jolts out of the classroom. Shirogane doesn't bother chasing her down.

* * *

"Mugi?"

The nickname startled her, causing her to almost spill the piping hot coffee. Once she's back on her toes, she turns to face the pianist.

"Oh, hi, Akamatsu-san."

Akamatsu sways slightly, peering over the counter to take a look at the machinery behind it. Two other employees work around Shirogane, one giving her a knowing glance.

Taking the hint, Akamatsu steps to the back of the line. Shirogane pours milk and calls out a number.

"I didn't know you worked here," Akamatsu starts after making her way to the front of the line. She's the last in the current wave of customers, so Shirogane is able to slow her pace. "You should've told me!"

"Mhmm. Guess I never got around to telling you. Sorry," she replies, before spooning sugar into a paper cup.

"It's fine. I was just really surprised to see you here!"

"I would be surprised to see myself here, too."

A giggle floats between them.

"By the way, what's with the nickname?" Shirogane inquires, head tilted.

"I thought we were good enough friends for cute nicknames!" Akamatsu beams. "Do you not like it?"

"No, no, it's cute," Shirogane mutters. Her index finger sits itself a few inches from her chin.

"Aka?"

"Oooh, that's cute! I like it!"

Shirogane yells out another number. As the customer walks away, she turns and outstretches her arms. She then looks to the clock on the wall, taking in the soft sound of its tick.

"My shift ends in about ten minutes, do you want to talk then? I can get you some coffee or tea if you'd like, but you'll still have to pay."

"Sure!" Akamatsu chirps. Her french nails tap against the glass counter as she places an order.

* * *

"Alright, close your eyes and try to stay still."

Akamatsu draws in a breath, hands folded in her lap, kneeling beside the bed. The sky is already a navy blue, blanketed with bright, far away stars and a crescent moon.

Shirogane turns around herself, eyeing the products she's placed on the floor. She pursues the foundation, putting a dab on her finger. Taking one of Akamatsu's hand, she rubs a dab into the surface of her skin.

"Huh? What's that for?" Akamatsu interjects, blinking as Shirogane continues rubbing the product in.

"I was just testing it to make sure it was the right shade," she replies. She waves her hands around, finding the pink beauty blender she'd purchased just a few hours earlier. "Now close your eyes!"

Patting the blender in the product, she readies it parallel to Akamatsu's face. She then dabs the product all over her face, blending it in as it rubs off onto her skin. Forehead, cheeks, nose, and chin, all smushed and polishes. Akamatsu takes a moment to blink.

"Alright, now I have to set the foundation in with powder. Keep your eyes closed!"

A round brush swishes in the powdered dish, picking up product. Shirogane taps the plastic end against the dish, excess powder filing itself into it. In circular motions she sets Akamatsu's cheeks, then swishes back and forth on her forehead and chin. She circles her face once or twice more, making a satisfied "mmm," once she finishes.

"Where did you learn all of this, Mugi?" Akamatsu asks, her eyes dazzled by the quantity of the products sprawled around her.

"Most of it from the internet," Shirogane answers, "but I got some of it from my cosplaying friends and makeup stores."

A foamy applicator dips itself in concealer before making small dots on Akamatsu's face. Shirogane smooths it in with her fingers.

Akamatsu shakes ever so slightly in her place, anxiously awaiting for Shirogane to finish. She defines her nose, then adds blush, highlight, and shadows. A purple, glittery eyeshadow meets a smaller brush, and then Akamatsu's eyelids. Black, liquid liner makes cat eyes of her, and mascara coats them.

"All done!" Shirogane declares. Having sat still for so long, the pianist stands and stretches, arms lifted over her head. Turning on the ball of her foot, she faces the mirror.

"Wow! I look amazing!" Akamatsu chimes, turning her face in multiple angles to see Shirogane's handiwork.

"It's nothing, it's nothing," Shirogane bluffs, waving her hands in a sort of self-imposed shame.

"I'm gonna do you now! But it might not turn out as good..."

Shirogane kneels down with a smile. "Go ahead."

* * *

"Welcome to the convention center!"

Akamatsu's eyes widen in amazement, almost unable to take in everything. The ceiling is high and bright, sun peeking through and shedding light on the hall. Convention-goers come in all shapes and sizes, alternative outfits, and precisely crafted cosplays.

Shirogane takes out a complementary map, flipping it to its backside to see the panel schedule for today. She eyes it curiously, mentally checking off which panels she'll be attending.

"Oh, by the way, I'm going to be selling charms tomorrow in the dealers room," Shirogane mentions, still going over panels.

"Aww, really? You couldn't tell me that earlier?" Akamatsu groans, giving her a discerning eye.

"Oh, it's not that bad," Shirogane starts, "plus, we have all of today free! There's a panel I wanna go to in five minutes, so you're coming with."

"Alright, let's do it," Akamatsu declares, bawling her fists in determination.

* * *

The hall is quiet, but the conversations ring loud in Shirogane's eardrums. Chandeliers illuminate it in gold, her dress shimmering and blue.

Older faces surround her, tuxedos and ballgowns and all. Wine glasses clatter against each other, laughter bounces. She picks up her pace.

Her heels click down red velvet stairs. Stopping at an isle, she eyes her ticket. Climbing between others, she slinks her way to her seat.

"Performing Beethoven's 5th Sonata will be Miss Akamatsu Kaede!"

A purple mermaid dress graces Akamatsu's figure, along with long, white gloves.

Purple eyes meet turquoise ones.

Shirogane claps.

**Author's Note:**

> Thinkin' of writing some girls... Maybe reviving Miss Iruma's Demon Maid... Maybe...
> 
> By the way, for the title: the "nothing" is to represent Shirogane, whilst the "everything" represents Akamatsu.
> 
> Thank you for reading!


End file.
